How to: Connect to a GIS server with ArcMap

Some of the datasets on Atlas are offered as web services. The GOHSEP 2010 imagery, for example, has been cached as a statewide basemap and published as a web service. This web service can be opened in GIS software like ArcMap as a convenient alternative to downloading all of the image files individually and combining them yourself.

Connect to a GIS server

Creating a connection to an ArcGIS Server in ArcMap or ArcCatalog will create a connection file (.sde) in your %APPDATA%\ESRI\Desktop10.4\ArcCatalog folder if you are using ArcGIS Desktop 10.4. The connection file can store the username and password and can be moved to another computer or user profile.

Step 1. In ArcMap, open the Catalog pane/window and under GIS Servers double-click Add ArcGIS Server.